Trace-fastener



(No Model.)

G. D. SPIELMAN. TRACE FASTENBR.

No. 330,436. Patented Nov. 17, 1885.

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NITED STATES PATENT GEORGE D. SPIELMAN, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.

TRACE-FASTENER.

E PEECIPICATION forming part of Letters Patent No.330,4=36, datedNovember 17, 1885.

Application filed June 1, 1885. Serial No. 167,177. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE D. SPIELMAN, a citizen of the United States,and'a resident of Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State ofOhio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inTrace-Fasteners, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is an improved trace-fastener. Its object is a cheapcompact fastener to securely hold the trace in place on the singletreeWithout rattling or noise when in use.

It consists in a spring-latch journaled in lugs or bearings on the endof the single tree, the bearing-surfaces surrounding the journal beinggrooved radially to engage the latch and hold itinthe open or closedposition. The spring of the metal of which the latch is formed permitsit to be turned over the projections intervening the grooves to open orclose it.

In the accompanying drawings,in which like parts arezrepresented bysimilar reference-letters, wherever they occur throughout the variousviews, Figure l is a side elevation of one end of asingle-tree providedwith myimprovement. The trace is shown in section vertical to the axisof its retaining-pin. Fig. 2 is a top elevation'of the same. Fig. 3 isan end view, with the end of the latch broken away to expose the pinwhich projects from the singletree. The position of the latch in thisfigure is shown by the extended inner dotted lines. The outer dottedlines show a form of latch that has the end of the hook looped to passaround the pin, which may project through the loop. A top view of thisform is shown in Fig. 10, which is the preferred form of my fastening.Fig. 4 is a side elevation, and Fig. 5a top elevation, of amodification, in which the latch is formed of spring-steel, the journalend being bifurcated, so that the forked legs may be pressed together topass them between the lugs in which the latch is journaled. Fig. 6 is anend elevation of the fastening shown in Figs. 4 and 5. Fig. 7 is a sideelevation, Fig. 8 a top plan view, and Fig. 9am end elevation, ofanother modification of my invention. In this form of my invention thelugs or pivotbearings are formed upon opposite sides of the single-treeferrule, and the hooked end passes through a perforation either in theend of the single-tree or the extended end of the ferrule, when such isused.

The ferrule A, which is secured on the end of the single-tree B, as seenin Figs. 1, 2, and 3, has a single lug, O, projecting up from it. Thisis perforated to receive the inwardly-bent ends of the latch D. From theperforation to the top of the lug there are two radial grooves, 0,formed on each side, one of them to lock the latch in its closedposition by engaging its legs above the bent ends or pivots, as shown infull line in the drawings. The other grooves receive the legs of thelatch when thrown up to the position shown in dotted line, Fig. 1, andretain the latch in the open position.

In Figs. 4, 5, and 6 there are two lugs, C, projecting up from theferrule. The adjacent faces of these lugs have V-shaped grooves, insteadof circular ones, as in the preceding figures, to engage V-shapedprojections on the inside of the legs D of the latch. the latch ispivoted to the lugs by the pin 6, which passes through them.

In Fig. 10 the lugs are arranged as in Figs. 4 and 5, except that theradial grooves are circular and the latch differs from the form shown inFigs. 1 and 2 in having its ends bent outward at a right angle to enterperforations in lugs O. The latch in this form is an openloop, and issprung into its place by closing the legs, the same as in Fig. 5. Theopen free end of the loop permits the trace-pin to pass through it whenthe latch is closed.

In Figs. 7, 8, and 9 the journal-bearings for the latch are oval-shapedbosses O. The ends of these are bored to receive inwardly-bent ends ofthe latch D, and their ends are radially grooved, like the lugs 0, Figs.1 and 2. The latch in this case is also made of spring-wire, the freeend being closed to pass through the perforations d in the ends of thesingle-tree or the nose of the ferrule. When the end of the single-treeis of wood and not provided with a ferrule, as is often the case inlight buggy- Work, the latch-journal may be simply aring, as indicatedin dotted line, Fig. 8, which can be slipped over the ends of thesingle-tree and secured in any suitable manner.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- 1. Ina trace-fastening, the combination of the lugs 0, having grooves c, andtransversely perforated to receive the latch-pivot, with the In thisform latch D, having spring-legs D to engage the latch being held inplace and against the grooves in the lugs and retain the latchinpogrooved sides of the lugs by the spring of its [0' sition over thetrace, substantially as specified. metal, for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination substantially as specii 5 fied, of the ferrule A,having two grooved lugs, GEORGE SPIDLMAN G, projecting from it, with aspring-wire latch Attest: 1 formed in the shape of an open loop, andhav- \V. O. SPIELMAN, ing its legs bent outwardly to form piv0ts,saidGEO. J. MURRAY.

